bow tie

American  

[boh] / boʊ /

noun

1. a small necktie tied in a bow at the collar.

2. a sweet roll or Danish pastry having a shape similar to that of a bow tie or butterfly.

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bow tie British  

/ bəʊ /

noun

1. a man's tie tied in a bow, now chiefly in plain black for formal evening wear

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Etymology

Origin of bow tie

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

No less than the staid bow tie baseball chronicler Ken Rosenthal described the Red Sox under Henry as “incoherent, dysfunctional and forever poised to overreact.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

And veteran director Spike Lee brought a splash of color to his ensemble of muted neutrals with a bright purple hat and bow tie.

From Barron's • Mar. 15, 2026

Director Spike Lee, with wife Tonya Lewis Lee, showed his distinctive style with a suit featuring a purple fedora hat and matching bow tie, and a bag made of silver cassettes.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Wearing a cowboy hat and bow tie, Rogers chews his gum.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2025

The best was the balding guy in a plaid suit jacket, dark jeans, and shiny red sneakers that matched his bow tie.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas